Computer users frequently have a need to connect their computer to other computing devices. For example, a user may wish to transfer audio files to his MP3 player, synchronize his calendar and contact list on his PDA device with that on his computer, or print a document onto his printer. The use of wireless communication for connections between computing devices has resulted in increased flexibility and mobility for computer users.
Wireless connections between a computer and another computing device may be made in a variety of ways. Computing devices may communicate directly with one another using a wireless peer-to-peer protocol. For example, devices suited for low data rates may communicate over a protocol such as Bluetooth or ZigBee. Some devices also support Wi-Fi protocol ad-hoc mode, which is another example of a peer-to-peer protocol, as it supports devices communicating directly with one another.
Devices supporting the Wi-Fi protocol may also operate in infrastructure mode, in which they do not connect directly to one another as in a peer-to-peer protocol, but communicate over a wireless local area network (WLAN). In a typical WLAN, a wireless client, such as a computer or a device (e.g., MP3 player, PDA), connects to an access point (AP), and communication is enabled between the client and a network through the AP.
Wireless access points frequently advertise their presence by broadcasting beacons at regular intervals. The broadcasted beacons may enable wireless clients to locate an access point and may also serve as a timing mechanism so that communications to and from devices connected in the network may be synchronized. APs may be self-contained hardware devices. Alternatively, computing devices (e.g., laptops or mobile phones) can be adapted to act as APs through the use of software. Such software-based access points or “soft APs” may allow a wireless client to access services not only on a network to which the computing device is connected but also on the computing device itself.